I GUESS YOU HEARD IT RIGHT. HEARING THE WORD ' TAWAIF ' WOULD DEFINITIELY STRIKE A PICTURE OF SHAMA LIT KOTHAS, POT BELLIED MERCHANTS WITH THEIR MOUTHS STUFFED WITH PAAN THROWING AWAY MONEY , THE SCENT OF ALCHOHOL AND OPIUM FILLING IN THE ROOM, DANCERS DRESSED UP IN HEAVY ATTIRE....FRANKLY SPEAKING, BOLLYWOOD HAS RUINED IT ALL. GOING BACK TO THE COLONIAL AND PRE-COLONIAL ERA, THESE FORGOTTEN LEGENDS WERE NOT ONLY ACTED AS SPIES, BUT WERE ONE OF THE HIGHEST TAX PAYERS OF LUCKNOW. Tawaif’ was once a word that people used to not shy away from. Considered as an authority on etiquette, courtesans were the epitome of adab, and custodian of etiquettes and poise, who apart from contributing to music, dance, theatre, and the Urdu literary tradition, went on to rule the empires, lead armies, work as spies and even redefined the socio-political discourse in many ways. ...
The Unheard Secrets aims to turn up those pages of the abandoned heritage which was lost somewhere in the shadow of that historical era.. busting the myths and disclosing the unsung stories which somehow failed to prove their existence in the test of time. Lets put our ears into those vanquished voices, which still might want to unbox their hidden treasures.. stories.. which even History failed to hear it.